Naruto Flower Tales: Temari: A minitale from TCOC
by Mr. Lee
Summary: A series of Naruto oneshots that involve him, the kunoichis, and flowers. Next up is Temari. Title is My Pretty Lily. A minitale from The Clan of Currents. Rated T for fluffiness and just a pinch of angst.


Naruto Flower Tales: Temari. A mini-tale from The Clan of Currents by Mr. Lee

This fanfiction will be a NarutoxTemari one-shot

Rated T for fluffiness and just a pinch of angst

Disclaimer: This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only. The author of this fanfiction does not own Naruto or its characters. Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto. Any other similarities in this story are purely coincidental.

Authors note: Hello all my loyal fans, Mr. Lee is here with your next Naruto Flower Tales. To all of those who waited for this, I thank you for your patience and I apologize for keeping you waiting. As you saw in my authors note of my last chapter of The Clan of Currents, I have had a **serious** mental block on which kunoichi to do next. In the end, I decided to do my little one-shot on my favorite kunoichi next to Hinata and second arc Sakura, Temari. Whether you call her the wind mistress, the desert rose or the desert lily, Temari is one of the most popular kunoichis in the series for her strong skills, intelligence, confident personality and overall sexiness (In my opinion, she's got the sexiest pair of legs of all the women in the series rivaling only Ino and Kurenai ;)!)! However, she also has a rarely seen soft side which is not shown very often which makes me like her even more. For example, during the chunin exam arc, when she spoke to her team during the month before the finals, even though she was a part of the Sand/Sound invasion against Konoha, the wind mistress really wasn't as anxious as Baki, Kankuro and Gaara was in attacking their ally. She also sympathized with Naruto slightly more than Sakura in my opinion when she found out about Kyubbi. And yet, despite all these great things about the sexy sand kunoichi, there are two things that bother me. The first is that I think Kishimoto-sama took Temari in the wrong direction as far as her character is concerned. For such a great character, she is **really** underused in the series right now next to Naruto himself (For more about Naruto, check out my authors note in chapter five of The Clan of Currents.). I think her character as well as her siblings could have a **major** impact in the series as it is now. The second thing is that certain fans consider Temari and Naruto to be a crack pairing (An unusual or unlikely pair.). As I said in my personal file and my notes during my Sakura one-shot, as long as the girl loves him, it doesn't matter to me who the spiky blonde ends up with. However, if I had to choose the top three kunoichis in the series who I would think make the best companion for our hero, Temari would arguably be at the top. Now don't get me wrong. I personally like the lazy genius of a ninja Shikamaru. He is a very cool and funny character in the series. But in my opinion, I think that he would be more compatible with Ino than Temari (I just don't think he deserves her. They'd probably end up arguing with each other more than loving each other LMAO XD!). Now I think Naruto and Temari would be a **very** good match. Temari is generally caring, if somewhat crude towards those around her, not the type of young woman to be afraid to speak her mind. Naruto's personality is very much the same. Temari is a long range offensive and defensive fighter with her fan as well as a strategist. Combined with Naruto's ingenuity of his jutsus and his in-close fighting ability, I personally think those two could mop the floor with many enemies in the naruverse more than Shikamaru and Temari could. With no offense to Hinata and Sakura fans (Since I'm one as well.), Temari could understand and deal with Naruto's situation with Kyubbi a lot better than the other two girls can due to her being an emotionally strong and sensible person as well as her experience with her brother Gaara (I know Gaara would approve of the blonde duo dating more than he would approve Shikamaru. He'd probably use Desert coffin on him first ROTFLMAO XD!). Hell, even their hobbies are virtually the same! Temari's hobby is botany while Naruto enjoys gardening! The fact that they are both wind users and that Temari is the daughter of the Yondaime Kazekage while Naruto is rumored to be the son of the Yondaime Hokage also deserves honorable mentioning though these are just similarities at best. But I think the most important comparison in my opinion is that I feel that they both wear emotional masks. Now I'm sure when everybody saw that match between Temari and Tenten (I still wince every time I see the weapons mistress fall on her fan.), we all thought that Temari was a pretty cruel person (I certainly did at first.). But as the series progressed and we got to see more of the sand siblings, we all realized that was not the case. As confident as she was in her fights and in herself, she stood by helplessly while Naruto fought against Gaara. She even ran from that battle, which some would consider uncharacteristic of her. As frightened as she was of her brother when he had Shukaku, she still cared for him like any big sister would even though he could've killed her at anytime. Naruto is very much the same in that department. As confident and as fearless as he appears to be, he still falters and has doubts in himself, which we all saw when he dropped his mask in front of Hinata during that classic scene at the training ground before his fight with Neji. Despite all the pranks he pulls in the beginning of the series, he only does it to get the attention that any child would want after being shunned and hurt by an entire village all your life (Sarutobi pointed this out in the early part of the series.). Although most people consider him an idiot (I admit, he is a bit of a knuck knuck XD.), he is one of the most insightful and influential characters in the entire series as well as being a great ninja in battle. The change of Hiashi's attitude towards Neji and Hinata. Being able to understand Sakura better than herself (Which she doesn't recognize until near the end of the first part of the series the knuck knuck XD!). Helping Tsunade overcome the pain of her past to become the Godaime Hokage. Changing Gaara the way he did during their classic battle. None of this would be possible without the number one, hyperactive, unpredictable ninja. He is far from being the smartest person in the world, but he is **definitely not stupid**. In fact, if he grew up with a loving family, he'd probably be one of the smartest of the rookie nine and team Guy, but all of this is just my personal opinion. In closing, I honestly can't see **ANY REASON** why these two should not be together. They would make a **powerful** fighting team **and** an **awesome** couple. And with the way things are going right now in the manga (I honestly don't know what Kishimoto is thinking anymore :(.), ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE at this point.

Phew. Sorry about that **long** explanation, I just wanted to get my point across. In any case, this one-shot is a mini-tale from my flagship NaruTema story The Clan of Currents and takes place a little after chapter five (If you've haven't read my story yet, then please do so and don't forget to review :)!). I'm not sure if it's up to par with my other two, but I hope you all enjoy it. This story is dedicated to all romantics out there including you undercover ones (You know who ye be ;).). To the NarutoxTemari fan club at Narutofan. To all NarutoxTemari fans. To the following NarutoxTemari authors: Naruto x Temari, 412816, Judicium, Midnight Rain, Temari of the Desert, Kiretammus (Formerly ErikKoekkoek), Dp-chesh (Formerly Assem'), Remmie Lupin-Black, Redlion 707, LiquidDreamLAD and any other author who's NarutoxTemari stories I've read and enjoyed. And last but most DEFINITELY not least, I dedicate this story to arguably the #1 fans of my Naruto Flower Tales stories, Rythixx, RhiannonG and Mandalorian Jedi. I thank all three of you for all the love you've given me. It was not easy to write this and I hope I live up to your expectations my friends :). Okay, I'm done talking now XD. Here we go! Enjoy :)!

_You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments when you have truly lived are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love- Henry Drummond_

_May no gift be too small to give, nor too simple to receive, which is wrapped in thoughtfulness and tied with love- L.O. Baird_

**Temari- My Pretty Lily**

Sabaku no Temari looked out the window of Shizune and Iruka's house in Herb Grotto, enjoying the warm summer breeze in the room she shared with her koishii (beloved) and future husband Uzumaki Naruto. The blonde duo, along with Tayuya and Gaara were preparing for their new journey to create their own hidden village. But not today. Today was a day of rest for the four heroes, especially for the wind mistress because for her it was a special day. For today was August 23, the day of her birth.

'So much has happened to me in such a short time. Soon I'll become a mother and a wife before I become twenty-one.' The sandy blonde thought incredulously as she stared at the diamond and peridot wedding ring Naruto gave her while it sparkled in the early afternoon sun. 'But as long as Naruto-kun is with me, I know that **we **have nothing to worry about.' She added as she gently rubbed her stomach thinking of the life that has only just begun to grow inside her. As Temari thought of the future, her heart drifted back to the past as she remembered the important lesson that her mother Karura taught her as a child.

"_No matter how strong you become as a kunoichi, you will always be Temari. The life of a ninja is a dangerous one that can easily lead to your death. But as long as you survive and stay true to yourself and what you feel in your heart, your place in heaven will be assured. At least, that's what I believe."_

'You were right mother. Thanks to your words and Naruto-kun's love, I've never been so happy. You both taught me that I can be strong and confident as a kunoichi, while still being true to myself as a woman. I know now that I'm not just a tool used to destroy, but a human being that can laugh, cry and enjoy my life with my friends and family just like Naruto-kun does. Thank you Kami for bringing him into my life. And thank you mother for blessing us with this precious gift.' The wind mistress said in her mind as she looked at the sky. She didn't realize it, but as she was thinking these things, silent tears started to fall from her eyes blurring her vision. Temari wasn't crying out sadness, but out of pure joy as the precious memories of love she and Naruto shared crept into her mind and heart. The brief moment when she gave her first kiss to him after he defeated her younger brother as he lay unconscious. The time when the spiky blonde pulled her to his bed and he gave her that soulful first kiss. The bond they made that day to find a place to call their own when he healed her heart that was in pain over all that she lost. All the tender moments and adventures they had when they started their journey. They were truly precious memories to the young woman and she wouldn't trade them for the world.

It was at this moment in time when Temari felt strong arms wrap around her waist. The wind mistress smiled happily as she automatically knew who it was. After all, she gave her heart, body and soul to him freely, willingly and lovingly. He sat behind her on the edge of the window, molding his legs with hers. After he was settled, she turned her body slightly so she could look up at him. His cerulean blue eyes shined with the sun and looked down at her beautifully soft teal eyes as the warm breeze blew. He smiled at her warmly and she returned it without hesitation.

"Enjoying your birthday my kirei yuri (Pretty Lily)?" Naruto asked in that gentle voice that always make Temari melt.

"I am now Naruto-kun…" She replied before their lips met in a gentle, but passionate kiss. The kiss instantly deepened as Temari wrapped her arms around his neck while Naruto's hands gently slid down her curvaceous body stopping at her hips. Temari moaned softly and happily as she felt his strong hands give her firm but soft behind a gentle squeeze. Feeling a little frisky, the spiky blonde started to gently caress her smooth and sexy legs with one hand and the other caressed her behind while his tongue entered and searched her mouth with passionate frenzy. Temari's lowered her head slightly while her moans became louder and frequent in his mouth as she let her koishii carry her into the realm of ecstasy and bliss. The sandy blonde removed her arms from his neck and her strong, gentle hands went under his shirt as her fingers traced his abs, chest and back lightly, but swiftly causing the young man to groan happily. Their ministrations, which was rapidly increasing continued for what seemed like forever between the blonde duo until they broke the kiss and gasped for air.

"Now **that's** what I call a kiss!" Naruto said loudly and cheerfully causing Temari to laugh and nod in agreement.

"Yes. It was your best kiss yet Naruto-kun. You have no idea how close I was to getting an orgasm." Temari chuckled at the end, even though she was being honest.

"What can I say Tema-chan? **I'm the man**." The spiky blonde said in a deep and sensuous voice.

"You most certainly are my sexy lord and master." The sandy blonde said in her usual sarcastic tone. A minute later they busted out laughing. After the laugh fest, they wrapped their arms around each other's waist and Temari affectionately nuzzled his chest as they looked out the window, enjoying the special day.

"So where are the others?" Temari inquired as she snuggled into his chest while taking in his scent.

"They all went out shopping for your birthday party." Naruto answered as he stroked her hair gently.

"And what did you get me for my birthday Naruto-kun?" The wind mistress asked playfully yet seriously.

"Don't worry Tema-chan. You'll get your birthday present soon." The spiky blonde replied happily as he gave her a quick kiss. Temari was silent as she glared at him. Naruto sighed automatically knowing why. "I'm not only talking about **that** Tema-chan." He assured her in regards to their occasional nightly 'activities'.

"Are you sure Naruto-kun? Because you know pretty soon we won't be able to." The sandy blonde retorted while increasing her glare. Naruto's bright smile immediately became a frown and he felt hurt that she didn't believe him.

"Do you remember the last time you doubted me around your birthday?" Naruto asked sadly. Temari gasped and immediately lowered her head in shame at that memory of the time she nearly ruined their relationship.

"I…I'm sorry Naruto-kun." Temari said quietly as she kissed him on the lips as an apology.

"It's alright Tema-chan. I don't blame you for wanting to forget. But I really don't think you should." The spiky blonde recommended as he smiled at her and increased his embrace.

"And why is that?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Because even though it happened two days after your birthday, it was still the best birthday you ever had." He replied warmly.

"Yeah…" The sandy blonde said as she closed her eyes and smiled, drifting back to the worst and best belated birthday in her life.

**Main Flashback-About a year ago**

It wasn't in Temari's nature to rush at anything, but with the frame of mind she had at the time, she didn't care as she rode swiftly on her fan to the borders of Konoha.

'Just wait till I find him. Naruto's going to pay for standing me up on my birthday, especially after he promised to be there.' The sand kunoichi thought angrily as her thoughts drifted back to two weeks after a sparring match with him.

_Flashback-Two weeks ago-Konoha training ground_

"_Alright Tema-chan, let's call it a day." Naruto said as the two blonde ninjas panted heavily._

"_Good idea Naruto-kun. I'm almost out of chakra anyway." Temari said still panting as she put her fan away. The spiky blonde walked over and embraced her gently._

"_Good match Tema-chan." He said warmly._

"_Same here Naruto-kun. You've really gotten a lot stronger." She complimented as she leaned her head on his chest in exhaustion._

"_So have you. I can see why you're a jonin." Naruto replied returning the compliment which caused the sandy blonde to blush._

"_You flatter me. You definitely have what it takes to be a jonin too. After all, you did train for nearly three years with one of the legendary sannin." Temari said honestly._

"_Heh, too bad Ero-sennin (Perverted hermit) spent most of that time training to be a big perv." Naruto chortled._

"_Ha Ha Ha. I don't think he needs any training for that!" The blonde kunoichi said as they both laughed hysterically at the toad sage's expense. After the laughter died down, Naruto captured the lips of his girlfriend in a long sweet kiss making the strong young woman putty in his hands. "Mmm…you always make me weak when you do that." She purred after breaking the kiss._

"_Oh really? I'll keep that in mind during our next match." Her fellow blonde joked causing Temari to punch him playfully in his shoulder. They started to head back to the village as they held hands, giving each other a squeeze while enjoying one another's company. "It's too bad you'll be heading back to Suna tomorrow." Naruto said quietly as they neared the village._

"_Yeah. But you'll be seeing me there in two weeks right Naruto-kun?" Temari asked giving her koishii a warm smile._

"_Of course Tema-chan! I promised I'd be there for your birthday. And you know I never go back on my word!" He replied loudly pumping his fist in the air._

"_Thanks Naruto-kun. It'll be the first time that we'll be together for my birthday. And I really want you there along with my brothers." She said happily leaning her head on his shoulder._

"_Don't worry Tema-chan. I already spoke with Tsunade-baachan (Granny Tsunade) and she's already given me the week off around your birthday so I can head to Suna to spend time with you. So relax, I won't let you down." Naruto said in a reassuring voice._

"_Thanks. Sorry for being so selfish. I know this isn't like me." Temari said in an apologetic tone._

"_Don't worry about it. With all the lonely birthdays I've had, I understand how you feel, more than you know." He replied in a somewhat sad voice._

"_Naruto-kun…" The sandy blonde whispered as she gave his hand a squeeze. They stopped and looked at each other with a warm smile. Naruto leaned in close and brushed his lips on hers, holding her close and deepening the kiss with each passing second. She moaned softly in his mouth as a warm hand gently stroked her strong back._

"_Come on Tema-chan. I'll take you out for dinner, my treat." The spiky blonde said gently after breaking the kiss._

"_No Naruto-kun. I'll treat tonight." Temari countered shaking her head._

"_Are you sure?" Naruto asked with hope in his voice._

"_Yeah. Just don't get used to it baka (idiot)." The sandy blonde answered in a teasing voice as she gave him her trademark smirk. After a light chuckle, they went into the village to wash up and get ready for their dinner date._

_End Flashback_

After the two weeks passed and her birthday came, Temari waited for the boy who held her heart to show up on the day that she wasn't a kunoichi, but a young woman. But he never came. She wore one of her favorite kimonos, ordered extra food and even made a schedule to spend time with him, time which she'd normally share with Gaara and Kankuro. But Naruto was nowhere to be found and it upset the normally strong willed kunoichi immensely. She sent a message to Konoha to ask if something happened to him or if he was on a mission. When she found out that he was on a mission and came back a couple of days before her special day, she was incensed because he came back at a time that would have given him ample time to make it for her birthday. Wasting no time, she grabbed her fan and literally rushed to Konoha, running as fast as her powerful legs could carry her until she jumped on her fan and flew there.

Finally reaching the gates, she showed her pass and went inside. Her first stop not surprisingly was Naruto's favorite eatery and the place they ate at on their first date, the Ichiraku ramen bar.

"Hey old man!" Temari called as she lifted the curtains.

"Hey there. You're Naruto's girlfriend Temari. What can I do for you?" Teuchi asked. A vein pulsed on the young woman's forehead at the mention of being called his girlfriend.

'I won't be that baka's girlfriend for long when I'm done with him!' She thought with a scowl. "Have you seen Naruto?" The sandy blonde asked trying not to show her temper.

"Hmm…Now that I think about it, I haven't seen him for the past couple of days." Ayame replied scrunching her face in thought. Temari didn't stay to thank the two as she left after hearing the information she needed. She jumped to the rooftops and reached Naruto's apartment five minutes later. The sand kunoichi banged on his door calling out his name in anger. Hearing no response, she reached into her pouch and pulled out the spare key that he gave her and opened the door. Temari looked around and saw that Naruto's bed was made while his roommate and best friend Tayuya's bed was really messy. A myriad of thoughts went through the kunoichi's head when she saw it as she remembered Naruto telling her that despite ex-sound girl's potty mouth, Tayuya was generally a neat person.

"Why would his bed be neat while that potty mouth's bed has the cover's and sheets out?" Temari thought out loud as another dark thought crept into her head. 'N-no he couldn't have. H-he isn't that kind of person. But he did break his promise to me and he's gonna pay for that and for ruining my birthday!' She thought as her temper reached the next level. She slammed the door behind her and locked it as she headed to Hokage tower next. The sandy blonde went upstairs and went inside Tsunade's office and saw Shizune sitting at the legendary sucker's desk doing paperwork while grumbling to herself.

"Shizune-san, have you seen Tsunade-sama?" Temari asked as she walked inside.

"I'm afraid that she went out to the bars again and won't be back till later. Is something wrong Temari-san? You look kind of angry." The dark haired woman asked.

"Never mind that. Have you seen Naruto?" The kunoichi asked trying to change the subject.

"He's at the hospital on the second floor but-" Shizune didn't get a chance to finish as Temari ran out the office in a huff. About ten minutes later the sand kunoichi went into the hospital and asked a nurse where the spiky blonde was staying. After being shown the way, Temari went upstairs to where his room was. Just as she was about to open the door, she heard the soothing sound of a flute being played inside. Normally she would enjoy hearing the melodic tune, but the young woman was still heated and just blocked it out as she swung the hospital door open. She saw Tayuya and Ino sitting in hospital chairs while Naruto laid in bed, all three of them surprised at the sand kunoichi's abrupt entrance.

"Hey Tema-chan, I'm so glad to see yo-" Naruto started to greet his koishii, but he never got the chance as she walked up to him and gave the blonde boy a grade A slap across the face. Tayuya and Ino gasped in shock at the action. "T-tema-chan…" Naruto whimpered holding his now swollen cheek.

"DON'T TEMA-CHAN ME YOU BASTARD! Where the hell were you on my birthday?! You promised me you would be there and I waited for you all day! I wore my best kimono for you! I ordered all that food for you! I even scheduled some alone time for us which I would give to my brothers. And you have the nerve to stand me up **and** take a mission?!" Temari ranted with a look of pure anger and hurt etched across her face. Naruto frowned and looked at her sadly. He knew this was coming and he was ready for it. He didn't expect her to be **this** angry though.

"Tema-chan, I can explain." The spiky blonde said calmly trying to diffuse the situation.

"Humph, I'm sure you can. What is it? You got tired of stringing me along and decided to have some fun between the sheets with blondie and potty mouth here?!" She countered staring a hole into Ino and Tayuya.

"EXCUSE ME?!!" The kunoichis said standing up with their hands on their hips.

"Calm down Tema-chan. Ino and Tayuya-chan are my friends. You know I would never do anything to hurt you." Naruto said with pain evident in his voice.

"Well you did hurt me Naruto. You ruined my birthday and you broke the promise you made to me. You have no idea how worried I was that something bad had happened to you." The sandy blonde said bitterly while turning his back to him.

"Something bad did happen to Naruto-kun. In fact he nearly died. And it was because he wanted to do something special for you." Tayuya said trying to defend her best friend.

"W-what do you mean?" Temari asked in confusion.

"If you give Naruto a chance to explain instead of jumping the gun, maybe you'll find out." Ino replied still angry for what the sand kunoichi said.

"Please Tema-chan. I know that you're angry and you have every right to be, but please let me tell you why I couldn't make it. Once I'm finished, you can hate me if you want." Naruto said somberly.

"Naruto-kun…" The flutist whispered. Temari was still enraged at the spiky blonde, but decided to hear his side of the story before making the situation worse.

"It all started on the day we got Gaara back from the Akatsuki and we stayed the night in Suna." Naruto started to explain in an attempt to save his first relationship.

_Flashback-Several months ago-Suna_

"_Hey there Naruto-kun." Temari called as the spiky blonde looked out the window of the sand siblings house enjoying the starry night view._

"_Hey Tema-chan. How's Gaara doing?" Naruto questioned looking back slightly._

"_With a little rest, he's going to be just fine. He'll be back doing his Kazekage duties in about a week." The sand kunoichi explained._

"_That's good. With Shukaku out of him now, he should be able to sleep peacefully." The spiky blonde said leaving the window and walking up to his new girlfriend._

"_Yeah, I certainly hope so." His fellow blonde said honestly as she walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "You saved my brother not once, but twice. And now you've become his first real friend. I just wish there was something I could do to repay you for all you've done for me and my family." She said while looking up at him happily._

"_Well this is a good start…" Naruto said as he captured her lips in a powerfully passionate kiss. She immediately closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him down until they fell on top of the bed in the room. His hands traced the curves of her body while his tongue ravaged her mouth making the young woman moan continuously in his mouth. They continued to make out for about a half hour until they sat on the bed holding each other._

"_You were right Naruto-kun. That __**was**__ a good start." Temari said sensuously while laying her head on his chest._

"_Well I have my moments." The spiky blonde chuckled._

"_I wish you had them more often baka." She countered making them both laugh lightly. After another round of quick but deep kisses, Naruto stared at an old picture on a table next to the bed. "What are you looking at Naruto-kun?" The sandy blonde asked looking up at him._

"_That old picture on the table. Is that your mother?" Naruto questioned. The sand kunoichi released him and took the picture off the table sitting back down on the bed._

"_Yes it is…" Temari replied depressingly as she lowered her head._

'_Tema-chan…' Naruto thought as he frowned. He remembered what Gaara told him and Shikamaru at the hospital a few years ago and regretted bringing it up, so he decided to change the subject. "Wow, that's a pretty flower she has in her hair. What kind is it?" He asked in a boisterous voice._

"_Oh, that's a hesperocallis Naruto-kun." Temari replied lifting her head and giving him a light smile._

"_What a weird name for a flower." He said tilting his head which caused her to laugh._

"_Ha ha ha ha. You do have a point. But it's more commonly known as a desert lily. They're very rare in wind country these days." Temari said after she stopped laughing._

"_Your mother was really lucky to have found one." Naruto said. The sand kunoichi lowered her head slightly._

"_Well actually, she used to grow them along with my favorite flower, the sasayuri." The young woman said in a soft voice. Naruto sensed that she wanted to continue so he remained silent. "While my mother was still alive, she managed to keep a small garden full of beautiful lilies. I used to play in the garden as a little girl while she tended to them. Desert lilies were her favorite flower since she was a child, she told me once. After the desert winter passed and spring came, the lilies used to grow in so many colors and it made me so happy to see them again. But when she died after giving birth to Gaara, my father ordered our servants to destroy the garden and all the lilies. I hated him so much for taking away my mother and the lilies back then. And now that she's gone, I'll never get a chance to see that beautiful flower that my mother loved so much again…" Temari finished as she dropped her mask and tears stung her eyes._

"_Tema-chan…" Naruto said sadly. He took the picture from her hand, laying it back on the table and pulled her into his embrace. The spiky blonde stroked her hair gently while she grabbed the back of his shirt and sobbed into his chest over the bittersweet memory. _

"_I'm sorry Naruto-kun. You must think I'm so weak right now." The sandy blonde said into his chest. He pulled her away slightly and smiled while shaking his head._

"_To tell you the truth, I care about you even more now." Naruto said gently._

"_Naruto-kun…" Temari said giving him a light smile while she blushed. The blonde boy smiled back and kissed her gently while wiping away her tears. He laid down on the bed and pulled the blonde kunoichi on top of him so that her head was on the upper part of his chest. Naruto stroked Temari's hair gently while rubbing her back in circles. She closed her eyes and purred at his loving touch causing her to peacefully fall asleep._

"_Tema-chan, somehow, someway, someday you'll see that flower again. I promise." He whispered in Temari's ear when she fell asleep. The young woman smiled in her sleep and purred as she snuggled into his chest for the night. The spiky blonde smiled and closed his eyes as he eventually joined her in the realm of happy and peaceful dreams._

_Five days before Temari's birthday-Tsunade's office_

"_Now let me get this straight. You begged me for the week off so you could go to Suna and spend time with Temari, but now you want to have a mission?" Tsunade said completely befuddled._

"_Not just any mission Tsunade-baachan, I want your permission to go into Wind country to find a desert lily for Tema-chan. But I'm going to need Ino and Tayuya-chan to do it." Naruto explained._

"_Why those two?" She asked curiously._

"_Because Ino knows a lot more about flowers than I do. And Tayuya-chan is my partner after all." The spiky blonde replied honestly._

"_But I thought that sasyuris were Temari's favorite flower." The female sannin said matter-of-factly._

"_They are but…I just want her to see that flower again one last time. It was her mother's favorite flower and I know seeing it again would make her happy on her birthday." Naruto said quietly as he lowered his head until his hair covered his eyes._

"_Naruto…" Tsunade said with a sad smile on her face. 'He has such a kind heart. He's just like him.' She thought. "I can see why Temari fell in love with a brat like you. I never knew you were such a romantic." She teased with a smirk on her face._

"_Heh, well if I was your age, I could swoon you Tsunade-__**chan**__." Naruto teased right back in a romantic voice making the Godaime Hokage blush a deep crimson._

'_Smooth talking little brat. Those perverts Jiraiya and Kakashi could learn something from him.' She inwardly chuckled. "In any case, I'll let you go looking for it. But only for a few days. If you don't find it, then come back and just get her a regular gift." Tsunade ordered._

"_Thanks Tsunade-baachan! You're the best!" Naruto cheered as he hugged her tightly and ran out the office._

"_Oh well. Even though he was only teasing me, it was kind of nice for someone to call me Tsunade-chan again." The legendary sucker sighed. 'Isn't that right koishii?' She said in her mind placing a hand over her heart and smiling._

_Three days later_

"_Everyone, get the hell out of the way!" Tayuya shouted as she ran into the hospital carrying the spiky blonde on her shoulders with Ino by her side._

"_Tayuya, Ino, what happened to Naruto-kun?" Shizune asked as she ran to the entrance when she heard the commotion._

"_Naruto has been poisoned by a large ancient scorpion! I was about to get hit with his stinger, but he shoved me out of the way and took the hit. You have to save him Shizune! Please!" Ino replied as tears fell from her eyes._

"_Right! Let's take him inside!" The med-nin said. The girls nodded in unison and followed the dark haired woman._

_Two days later_

"_Uhhh…W-where am I?" Naruto groaned._

"_Naruto! You're awake! We were so worried!" Ino said as she embraced her friend. In the room were Tayuya and Sakura._

"_You're in the hospital Naruto. You were severely poisoned by a large ancient scorpion. You were on the brink of death when Tayuya and Ino brought you in, but we managed to flush all the toxins out of your system." Sakura explained as she hugged him after the platinum blonde's show of affection._

"_How are you feeling partner?" Tayuya asked as she sat on the bed._

"_I feel very weak and tired." The spiky blonde replied truthfully._

"_Well I'm not surprised. The antidote Tsunade-sensei gave you will make you feel that way for a couple more days." The pink haired kunoichi said._

"_Wait a minute. What's today's date?" He asked._

"_It's August 23. Why do you ask?" Tayuya inquired. Naruto frowned and turned his head away._

"_Today is Tema-chan's birthday…" Naruto said sorrowfully. All three kunoichis lowered their heads in pity for their friend. They knew about Naruto's promise to Temari to be there for her birthday how important it was for him to keep his promises, especially Sakura. And because of this incident, he couldn't fulfill it to his koishii._

"_Naruto, I-I'm so sorry. Because of my carelessness, you won't be able to keep your promise to Temari." Ino said feeling horrible for what happened._

"_It's alright Ino. If I didn't jump in and pushed you out of the way of its stinger, then you would have died. And I wouldn't or couldn't forgive myself if my friends got hurt just for a flower." The spiky blonde said giving her a light smile._

"_Thank you Naruto. Thanks for saving my life." Ino said as a light blush crossed her face while the other girls smiled. 'You don't know how lucky you are Temari.' All three kunoichis thought simultaneously._

"_Don't worry Naruto-kun. Once you explain what happened to Temari, I'm sure she'll forgive you." Tayuya said while playfully punching his shoulder._

"_That's right. Besides, who wouldn't want to forgive a baka like you?" Sakura joked sticking her tongue out at him._

"_Ha Ha, very funny Sakura-chan." Naruto said with a smirk. After they all finished laughing, they three young women gave their blonde friend a powerful group hug. 'I hope Tema-chan can forgive me…' He thought as he blushed deeply from the affectionate hug._

_End Flashback_

After Temari heard the entire tale from Naruto, Ino and Tayuya, the wind mistress lowered her head in shame over her actions. 'I…I can't believe Naruto-kun would go to so much trouble for a jealous and spiteful person like me…' She thought as a wave of guilt hit her hard. Naruto looked at Ino and Tayuya and all three of them silently nodded. The two young women left the blonde couple alone to settle their differences.

"Come on Tema-chan; sit on the bed with me." The spiky blonde said softly. The young woman nodded and sat on the bed, turning her face away from him. "Don't tell me that Sabaku no Temari, the girl who always speaks her mind, has nothing to say." He slightly teased trying to lighten the mood.

"I…I just don't know what to say…" Temari said honestly still looking away from him.

"I do." He said as he took her hand and squeezed it gently. "Tema-chan, I'm so sorry I ruined your birthday and broke my promise to you. I wanted to tell you about getting the desert lily for a birthday present, but I wanted to save it for a surprise. You looked so sad when you talked about your mother that night, and I wanted you to see that beautiful flower one last time. I wanted your birthday to be special and happy, but I ended up undoing everything that you did to make it a wonderful time for the both of us and just made you upset and angry. I'm sorry for messing everything up. I'm sorry for being such a baka." He choked as tears started to fall from his cerulean blue eyes.

"No Naruto-kun. You're not a baka. I am." Temari said as she turned to him with tears in her soft teals. "To tell you the truth, you're the closest person in my life." She said honestly.

"I'm the closest person in your life?" The spiky blonde asked in amazement.

"Yes. I truly love my brothers with everything I have, but you are the closest one in my heart. When my mother died, and I found out the truth about Gaara, my life was never the same. I still loved my family, but deep inside I was afraid of them, thinking that my father would use me like my mother or that Gaara would kill me. Because everybody hated and feared my little brother, they hated and feared me. Nobody wanted to come near me for fear of being killed by him. And if they did, they would only use me to try and assassinate him. I decided to become strong and independent, not relying on my family or anyone else. I would only rely on myself. I had to harden myself and my heart because I feared I would die alone, cursing my family and village, just like my mother did." The sandy blonde explained.

"Tema-chan…" Naruto said sadly as his girlfriend continued.

"When we kissed each other that day, you removed the hardness and loneliness in my heart. You made me feel the way I felt when my mother was alive, loved and happy. It was then that I decided to trust you with my heart. In return, I wanted to give you the happiness that has been denied you for so long. That's why I wanted you to be there for my birthday. I wanted to tell you that I love you. But when you didn't show up, I stupidly thought that you didn't feel the same way I felt about you. And I overreacted without giving you a chance to explain. I'm sorry Naruto-kun." Temari finished.

"Overreacted? You slapped me and accused me of sleeping with Ino and Tayuya-chan for the love of Kami. Heh, with the way you were acting, I guess I should be grateful you didn't crack my head open with your fan." Naruto said in a playful tone. Temari looked at him and smiled as she started to giggle until it became full blown laughter.

"You damn right you should be grateful you ramen eating baka!" She joked giving him her trademark smirk as she took out her fan and bopped him lightly on the head causing them both to laugh. After the laughter stopped, Naruto pulled her down until she was on top of him and gently embraced her while kissing her cheek.

"I forgive you Tema-chan. Can you forgive me for missing your birthday?" The spiky blonde asked with hope in his voice.

"Yes Naruto-kun, I forgive you. Just don't let it happen again." She replied happily. That was all Naruto needed as he crushed her lips into his and strengthened his embraced until her chest was pressed firmly onto his. Temari wrapped her fingers into his hair as she sang her sexy song into his mouth as usual. After they broke the kiss they sat back up together and the sandy blonde kissed him on the cheek that she slapped earlier. "I'm glad that you're going to be okay Naruto-kun. I just wished that you could've been there for my birthday." She said with a sad smile.

"Just because your birthday has passed doesn't mean we can't celebrate it." Naruto said with a grin.

"What do you mean?" Temari asked curiously.

"This is what I mean. COME ON IN GUYS!" The spiky blonde said loudly to the door. A minute later a cart rolled in containing a birthday cake along with all of Naruto's friends, Shizune, Tsunade, Gaara and Kankuro.

"SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TEMARI!!" They all shouted in unison as they sang the Happy Birthday song. Temari was completely speechless and started to cry tears of joy while blushing in embarrassment.

"Gaara, Kankuro, everyone, thank you." The sandy blonde said after they finished singing.

"You should thank Naruto. He felt really bad about missing your birthday in Suna, so he decided to surprise you when you came to see him. While he recuperated from his injuries, we all pitched in to help him." Tsunade explained.

"Ino and I better receive a damn apology after the party though!" Tayuya grumbled.

"Tayuya-chan, be nice." Naruto scolded.

"It's alright Naruto-kun. She's right. They deserve an apology after what I said." Temari said humbly. "Ino, Tayuya, I'm sorry that I accused you of sleeping with my boyfriend." She said lowering her head slightly.

"Don't worry about it Temari." Ino said brushing it off. 'It's not exactly the worse thing to be accused of.' She thought holding back a blush.

"Thanks. And thank you Naruto-kun. This is the best birthday of my life." The sandy blonde said turning back to him and giving him a bright smile.

"Well it won't be the best without your present." The spiky blonde countered as he got out of bed and opened the drawer of the hospital stand. He pulled out a decorative box and walked slowly to his girlfriend since he was still a little weak from the antidote placing it in her hand. She opened it and her eyes widened in shock as she looked at a large cream colored flower with slender petals.

"This is a desert lily! A **real** desert lily…" Temari choked as the happy memories of her mother and her garden of lilies came rushing back to her mind while tears silently fell from her eyes.

"A promise is a promise Tema-chan. Ureshii tanjoubi waga kirei yuri, aishiteru (Happy birthday my pretty lily, I love you.)." Naruto said in that gentle voice she loved.

"I love you too Naruto-kun! Thank you so much! You've made me so happy..." She cried as she fell into his arms. The young woman dropped her mask in front of everyone, but she didn't care. Even though her birthday had already passed, she felt that time had reversed just for her. Naruto put the flower in her hair and kissed her lips and soul gently, but passionately while he wiped her tears away making the others hoop and holler for the blonde duo.

"Can we get this party started already? All this waiting is so troublesome." Shikamaru said out of the blue after the couple broke the kiss.

"Yeah, we certainly can't keep your clouds waiting, can we pineapple head?" Temari said at her liaison partner causing everyone to laugh at the lazy genius of a ninja.

**End main flashback**

"That day was the first time you called me kirei yuri, and the first time you told me you loved me." Temari said as she opened her eyes and looked up at him.

"Yeah. And look at us now. Not only are we getting married, but we're having a child too." Naruto said happily rubbing her stomach.

"Yes. That's how I know that the village we create is going to be a loving home for us and our children Naruto-kun." The sandy blonde said with pride.

"Because we love each other with all our hearts Tema-chan. And we always will till the end of time." The spiky blonde said warmly.

"I never knew you were so romantic Naruto-kun…" She cooed.

"I'm full of surprises Tema-**hime**. Just as you'll see tonight." He said sensuously as his lips were inches from hers.

"I look forward to it Naruto-**sama**, my blonde lord and master." She whispered with a light chuckle as they gave each other a quick kiss.

"Let's go downstairs to see if the others came back yet." Naruto suggested.

"Alright." Temari nodded as they got up from the window and went downstairs. The spiky said that he wanted to go down first and she complied, but not before giving him a raised eyebrow. As they headed downstairs, the wind mistress noticed that the living room was darker than usual.

"Why is the living room so dark?" The sandy blonde asked thinking out loud.

"I don't know. Let me turn on the light." The spiky blonde answered as he headed toward the light switch and flipped it on. As soon as he did, Temari gasped as she saw that all over the living room was a bunch of desert lilies and sasyuris. At the dinner table there was a variety of food and a birthday cake along with Shizune and Iruka holding their baby Dan along as well as Gaara and Tayuya.

"SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TEMARI!!" They all said simultaneously, Naruto included. Temari once again cried tears of joy as her future husband took her hand and led her to the table.

"See Tema-chan? I told you I was full of surprises." Naruto whispered in her ear as he led her to the table.

"You most certainly are Naruto-kun. And I'll always love you for it." Temari whispered back in his ear. She stopped and kissed him with all the love and passion within her causing everyone to cheer. While the party was starting to begin, the spirits of Gaara and Temari's mother Karura, their brother Kankuro and their sensei Baki watched the festivities from the window and Karura smiled happily in the knowledge that her daughter and son were happy.

"Thank you Uzumaki Naruto for making my daughter and son happy. At long last my son and I can finally rest in peace. I'll pray that you'll always look after my Gaara and my Temari, my pretty lilies." She said as they both vanished. And at that moment, a gentle but strong wind picked up, cooling the villagers of Herb Grotto on this hot summer day and making their day, and Temari's, a lot more pleasant.

Authors note 2: And thus ends another Naruto Flower Tales story. I'm honestly not sure if this one shot is up to par with my other two. If it is not, then I apologize to my loyal fans :(. But if you did like it, then I'm grateful and I look forward to your responses. In any case, you know the drill as always. Read, Enjoy and Review. Once I have some free time (Which seems to be dwindling a lot lately.), I'll get started on chapter six of The Clan of Currents which **hopefully** will be out before the end of May. As for my next Naruto Flower Tales story, let me know which kunoichi you want me to do next in your review. I'm considering Hinata, but I need a base for her story (I already know which flower I'm going to use for her and the title.). For those of you who would like me to do Hinata next, send me an e-mail or PM me with your ideas. I will of course give that person(s) credit for their idea. Finally, don't forget my fan appreciation poll in chapter five of my story The Clan of Currents or my extra notes on my profile (They're both self-explanatory.). Until next time my loyal fans, fellow authors, faithful readers and online friends. Enjoy my fics and enjoy the beautiful days and flowers of May. Later :)!!!


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